Our part of Oregon was “treated” to a massive ice storm this past weekend. We lost power Friday night, and I could hardly sleep for all the creaking of trees and thudding of falling branches. When Eric went out the next morning, he texted me to say it looked like a war zone. Broken trees, downed power lines, brush and branches strewn everywhere, and everything coated with ice.

I stepped out on the deck, and even though the trees were still creaking, it was eerily still. Usually when trees creak it’s because the wind is blowing them, but there was no wind, only ice. A third of our beautiful willow tree was gone, broken in a jagged pile on the ground. The top of one of our pine trees had completely snapped off. The camellia bush by the deck was flattened in about four different ways, each branch sprawled out wherever the ice took it. I watched a massive limb crash into the creek, and again, it was so surreal. No wind, no warning, just a sudden crack, and falling wood. ...continue reading →